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Joan M. Conmy, teacher

Joan Murray Conmy, 57, formerly of Chestnut Hill, a teacher who conducted elementary education classes for patients at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, died of colon cancer March 4 at her home in Andorra.

Mrs. Conmy, who had taught kindergarten through fourth grade in the Hospital School Program, helped children keep up with their education while in the hospital. She taught many young patients in the oncology unit while she privately and courageously battled the disease.

She also had served for many years on the board of directors at Keystone Hospice.

Born and raised in the Feltonville section of Philadelphia, she attended St. Ambrose parish school and graduated from Cardinal Dougherty High School, where she was a member of the drill team and, later, the alumni band and drill team.

She worked for a time at the Bell Telephone Co. in Chicago while her husband, Jim, completed law school. The couple then returned to Philadelphia and became volunteer emergency technicians with the Northwest Community Ambulance Corps in Chestnut Hill.

She went back to school and earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s in education at Chestnut Hill College.

In addition to her husband of 37 years, she is survived by a son, James; a daughter, Joanna; sisters Barbara Greenjack, Nancy Shields, Betty Burnett, Mary Margaret Houser and Kathy Cowden; and a brother, John Murray.

A funeral Mass was celebrated on March 10 at Our Mother of Consolation Church in Chestnut Hill.

Memorial donations may be made to either the CHOP Foundation, mailed to the Hospital School Program of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Lock Box 1352, P.O. Box 8500, Philadelphia, PA 19127 (http://giving.chop.edu/goto/JoanConmy) or to The George Fund, which benefits pediatric hospice care, and mailed to Keystone Hospice, 8765 Stenton Ave, Wyndmoor, PA 19038. – WF